Drenching rains to hit truckers in Plains

Truckers will run into prolonged rainfall in parts of the nation’s midsection during the latter half of this week.

A storm system and cold front in the Rockies will move east over the next few days, entering portions of the Plains and Midwest by Wednesday. The front will move southward during the latter half of the week, eventually stalling before moving toward the East Coast early next week.

The threat of significant rainfall should persist through the weekend for places like Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas; Springfield and St. Louis, Missouri; northwestern Arkansas; as well as southern Illinois. Rainfall totals could exceed 5 inches in these areas. This may not sound like much over several days, but it could cause minor flooding as creeks, streams and rivers rise.

Widespread areal flooding is unlikely, but drivers may hit localized closures of interstate ramps or secondary roads. Delays are likely on sections of the I-35, I-40, I-44, I-49, I-72 and I-80 corridors.